Since information is increasingly being exchanged through the use of computers, the confidentiality of information disclosed is of increasing concern to both individuals and corporations. An individual or corporation may desire to restrict disclosure of personal or confidential information to certain persons. For example, an individual may desire to control disclosure of dating information, through a dating service or otherwise, only to other individuals with similar interests. A corporation may desire to control disclosure of information on an open employment position only to qualified applicants.
A traditional dating service operates by collecting information from a group of persons, storing such information, and then making such information available for retrieval by a person interested in dating. This process normally involves a person submitting personal information, in the form of questionnaire answers, videotapes of an individuals interests, or the like. A person interested in dating then reviews the stored information and selects a person based upon the information reviewed. This process is not interactive since the information is available only after the initial collection by the dating service.
Similarly, in an employment scenario, information on open employment positions of an employer is stored with a job data bank or the like. A prospective employee then searches through the information and sends a resume to the employer. If the employer is interested in the prospective employee, an interview is set and the job process continues. The employer may not desire disclosure of certain information until they have reviewed qualified prospective employees. As in the dating scenario described above, this employment process is not interactive since information is available only after initial disclosure by the employer.